The present invention relates to a medicine feed apparatus.
A conventional medicine feed apparatus comprises a body frame, a few drawers drawably contained in the body frame and a plurality of storage containers in which different kinds of medicines are stored and which are attached on each of the drawers.
A another type of medicine feed apparatus comprises a drum and a plurality of storage containers which are attached on the peripheral surface of the drum and from which medicines are fed (refer to Japanese Laid-open patent publication No. H7-52901).
In the former, there has been a disadvantage that a medicine feed process is interrupted when drawing the drawer to replenish the medicine.
In the latter, the problem of interruption of the medicine feed process, as in the former, is eliminated but there has been a disadvantage that the space that the apparatus occupies is larger.
The present invention has been developed to substantially eliminate the above-described disadvantages.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide the medicine feed apparatus which can conduct a replenishing work of the medicines without interrupting the medicine feed process and which occupies a small space.
In order to attain the aforementioned objects, there is provided a medicine feed apparatus comprising a body frame, a few drawers drawably contained in the body frame and a plurality of storage containers attached on each of the drawers so that medicines stored in the storage containers are fed in accordance with prescription data.
The drawer is provided with a collecting mechanism for collecting the medicines discharged from the storage containers.
The body frame is provided with a recovery box for recovering the medicines collected by the collecting mechanism.
Also, the collecting mechanism has a first passage and a second passage which are interchangeable. The first passage allows the medicines discharged from the storage containers to be conveyed to the recovery box in a state that the drawers are contained in the body frame, while the second passage allows the medicines discharged from the storage containers to be conveyed to the recovery box in a state that the drawers are drawn out of the body frame.
According to the aforementioned construction of the present invention, in an ordinary operation, i.e., in the state that the drawers are contained in the body frame, the medicines corresponding to the prescription data are discharged from the storage container to the collecting mechanism and recovered to the recovery box through the first passage. In the state that the drawers are drawn out of the body frame, the medicines corresponding to the prescription data are discharged from the storage container to the collecting mechanism and recovered to the recovery box through the second passage. Thus, the medicine feed apparatus of the present invention can conduct a replenishing work of the medicines without interrupting the medicine feed process. The plurality of storage containers can be attached on the drawers contained in the body frame, and thus the medicine feed apparatus of the present invention can occupy a small space.
Preferably, the collecting mechanism may comprise a conveying member having a retractable end and the recovery box may be disposed under the retractable end of the conveying member so that the first passage can be formed by retracting the retractable end of the conveying member to convey the medicine to the recovery box through the retractable end of the conveying member, while the second passage can be formed by extending the retractable end of the conveying member to convey the medicine to the recovery box through the opposite end to the retractable end of the conveying member.
The recovery box may be replaced with a packing unit for packing the medicine collected by the collecting mechanism. Alternatively, the recovery box may be followed by a packing unit for packing the medicine collected by the collecting mechanism.
The plurality of storage containers may be disposed in a vertical direction and the collecting mechanism may be ascendable and descendable, i.e. movable up and down, so that it can collect the medicines discharged from any of the storage containers disposed in the vertical direction.